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A small study that included 20 women with migraines found that adiponectin measures could predict pain severity and treatment response, Johns Hopkins University researchers reported in the journal Headache. Ratios of high-to-low molecular weight adiponectin could be tied to severity of pain, indicating the potential for use as a migraine biomarker and drug target.

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Nerve decompression might be appropriate for teenagers with frequent migraines and identifiable anatomical trigger sites whose symptoms have not been relieved by other treatments, according to a study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Surgery potentially improves migraine headache frequency, duration and severity, the researchers wrote. Teenagers without a family history of migraines may be more likely to outgrow their symptoms and might not be good candidates for the surgery, said lead author and plastic surgeon Bahman Guyuron.

A screening questionnaire developed at the Montefiore Headache Center in the Bronx, N.Y., may help diagnose patients with chronic migraine, researchers reported at the PAINWeek conference. The 12-item survey asks patients about pain severity, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea levels, and how much they worry about their headaches affecting their daily lives.

Obese people have an 81% higher risk of episodic migraine than their normal-weight counterparts, especially women and those younger than 50, according to a Johns Hopkins University study. Researchers said data showed the risk of episodic migraine increased as people went from normal weight to being overweight and then obese. The findings were to be presented at the International Headache Congress.

Experts say regularly using pain pills -- even OTC medications -- to treat migraines can backfire on patients, resulting in rebound and chronic headaches, and even more pain. Research shows one-third of migraine sufferers have enough headaches to qualify for prevention medications but only 10% actually get them. Some people who have frequent headaches get what is called a transformed migraine, meaning the brain becomes more sensitive to pain, and the migraines become more frequent and more severe.

Experts say regularly using pain pills -- even OTC medications -- to treat migraines can backfire on patients, resulting in rebound and chronic headaches, and even more pain. Research shows one-third of migraine sufferers have enough headaches to qualify for prevention medications but only 10% actually get them. Some people who have frequent headaches get what is called a transformed migraine, meaning the brain becomes more sensitive to pain, and the migraines become more frequent and more severe.